In a Crowded Place
by PurplePanda12
Summary: It was supposed to be the celebration after the trial, but she didn't feel like celebrating. Not that she didn't want to. Justicykes. Oneshot.


**Summary: It was supposed to be the celebration after the trial, but she didn't feel like celebrating. Not that she didn't want to. Justicykes. Oneshot.**

* * *

It was only the day after that horribly confusing and emotional rollercoaster of a trial happened. The Wright Anything Agency and a few close friends had a celebration straight after the trial, but the boss, Mr Wright, decided to host a Christmas party, and invited all of his past clients from the year. Athena and Apollo invited a few friends of their own, also from the past year. Even Prosecutor Edgeworth joined in, with more friends of his. Cut to the chase, the word spread around and then there was a lot more people than expected at the WAA Christmas party.

The members of the WAA and the Fey's arrived earlier than the guests at the Gatewater Hotel, and began to decorate the place. Everyone was busy with their different roles that they just managed to finish in time when Prosecutor Edgeworth, 'The Great Thief Yatagarasu', also known as Kay Faraday and Detective Gumshoe walked in. It was the domino effect after that – more and more people kept filling in the room. Soon, there was surely more than 50 people in there, and everyone was in their own conversations.

Except for one. And that was… Athena Cykes.

You would've expected her to be the least person not socialising, with her bubbly and perky personality. However, everyone just seemed to drift with different people, and even Apollo, who she expected to be in her position, was talking with Prosecutor Gavin. Also, this was her first time being surrounded by lots of people in a tight, enclosed space since seven years ago. She doesn't include the courtroom because that is a part of her job. Plus, everyone was talking at once, and it was a very noisy area.

Athena thought she would've been used to it by now. It was ages ago, and as Simon said, her power isn't as strong anymore. Furthermore, she was older and would be free to explore new situations. But no. Even if she thinks otherwise, she knows she'll always be stuck in her shell. She'll always be…

Broken, and she can't change it.

Since she was one of the few who couldn't drink, she sipped her orange juice. She saw everyone laughing, having a good time, celebrating the aftermath of the trial and the joy of Christmas. Athena desperately wanted to be like them – free, without a care in the world. That wasn't the case, because what was her advantage was also a disadvantage. She could feel the emotions flying in and out of her mind, and circulating the room, as if they were mocking her. Showing how free they were and how trapped she was. She could feel her emotions building up inside of her, and she needed to escape before it turned into a disaster.

Quickly setting down her glass, Athena spotted the nearest door and made a run for it.

 **(x)**

Breathing in the city air, she sat herself down against the wall, bringing her knees to her chest. She hoped no one had seen her run because she didn't want anyone chasing after her. This was something she had to solve herself.

Just then, a song came to mind. Something she found the day before she was arrested. Opening up Widget, Athena began to look for the lyrics she thought she had saved, but they were nowhere to be found. Sighing, she softly sang the chorus – the only part she remembered.

 _"So lay your hands, on the left behind. We all know how it feels to be forgotten for a while. In a crowded place, trying not to feel alone. Just remember that we've all been broken once, so let's love the broken ones,"_ she paused as she took a breath. " _Love the broken ones."_

Letting her tears flow freely now, Athena Cykes buried her head into her knees, hidden from view.

 **(x)**

Something wasn't right.

He scanned the room, looking for a bright, orange-haired girl. She was his junior co-worker, and even though they had only been working together for a year, they were good friends. Or at least that's what he used to think. Problems happened, and well, he wasn't so sure anymore. What he did wasn't exactly forgivable, but she managed to forgive him anyway. He still wasn't sure why she would, or if she was truly forgiving. His special bracelet didn't squeeze his arm, so he thought he could believe it. Then again, he shouldn't really be basing his assumptions on that bracelet.

Apollo lost count on how many times he tried finding Athena. He had finished his conversation with Prosecutor Gavin and it just happened to be about her. But now that it was done, he wanted to make sure she was okay after what she went through yesterday. Also, he had a feeling in the back of his mind that she wasn't really having a good time here.

Somehow, he managed to find his way to a table. It was then he found a half drunken glass, which contained orange juice. Looking up, Apollo noticed a door. Leaving his own glass with hers, he made his way to the door and pushed it open.

 **(x)**

She was shivering. _Why didn't I get my other jacket before running out into freezing December weather?_

This was stupid. Coming here was stupid. She should've just declined the offer and stayed home. Her cozy, warm apartment. It was messy alright, but she kind of liked it that way. She wished she was there right now, watching some old chick flick that probably hardly related to Christmas. At least she liked it.

Athena was still silently crying. _I'm such an idiot. You are such huge idiot Athena!_ She didn't even realise that the door she ran out from was opened and shut again, and then there was a person sitting next to her.

 **(x)**

Apollo was a naturally patient person, unlike Athena. That's why he found no difficulty giving a minute or two before speaking.

"Thena?" he asked cautiously.

She lifted her head up slowly, but still kept her knees at her chest. Her arms were forcefully locked around them and she didn't move them either. Athena could tell her face was still blotchy, and knew that there were still a few tears dying to come out.

"I-uh… A-Apollo…" she managed to stutter out. "I… um… didn't r-really… want y-you to f-find… m-m-me."

He nodded his head, then casually put his right arm over her shoulders. He didn't speak as Athena placed her head to Apollo's shirt and let the last of her tears out. His other hand stroked her hair comfortingly, and waited for her to finish. Apollo could feel her shivering as she did so.

 **(x)**

She didn't really know how long she had been crying for. She didn't even know why she was crying for this long. Maybe there was more to it than it seemed. Maybe there was another reason why she was crying, besides the one she was sure of.

After what seemed like years to her, Athena finally stopped. She opened up her eyes, and let her head come back up. Her eyes met Apollo's soft brown ones, and she gave a small smile. She adjusted herself then leant against the cold, brick wall.

She didn't want to speak first. Thankfully, Apollo must've sensed this, and did it for her.

"You were shivering. Are you cold?" he asked warmly.

Nodding her head, he took off his jacket and placed it around her shoulders. "Thank you," Athena replied.

Apollo nodded back, and sighed. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She bit her lip. _Would he even understand?_ That was an understatement. He was at that trial yesterday. He should know about it. Emphasize the word 'should'.

"It… might get a bit confusing. Are you sure… you want to hear it?" she raised the question, then started to gather the words to form what she would say to Apollo.

"I'll figure it out. If you wouldn't mind, yes," he answered.

Athena took a deep breath. Fumbling with her long strands of her ponytail, she started to tell him. "Not sure if you know, but I used to wear these headphones a long time ago." _More like if you were paying attention._

"I think Prosecutor Blackquill talked about them yesterday? They were supposed to dampen your sensitive hearing, right?"

"Yeah, well, even with them on, my power was still very strong. Much stronger than it is now. Anyway… I… was never good with crowded places. And turns out I still am. Seven years ago, the inner emotions of the people surrounding me would suffocate me. It left me dizzy, really dizzy. Since my power has decreased, I thought it wouldn't happen. I was wrong, terribly wrong."

"Even though your hearing isn't as strong, you could still hear the emotions of everyone?"

"Yes, and because there was a large number of people, the emotions were flying through my ears. They were making me extremely shaky, and I couldn't concentrate. The world was just falling apart. So, to solve this, I ran. I ran from the people. I ran out of that awful room. I ran from my hearing. That led me here."

"Why didn't you come find me? You know I care about you."

"You were talking with Prosecutor Gavin, and everyone else was mingling with their own people."

 _Yeah, but he's not as important as you._ "What about Juniper and them?"

"They drifted off. Talking about something to do with their school," Athena paused. "In the end, I was surrounded by lots of voices and my sensitive hearing. The only solution I thought of was to leave, so I did so. Do you… think I did the right thing? Running?"

Apollo thought for a moment. "You know, you should never run from your problems, because it doesn't mean they're solved. But you've probably heard that many times."

She chuckled. "Just now, actually."

"Anyway, so I think that you should've come talked to me. We could've figured it out together. Or just tell someone - like Mr Wright. But considering your reasons, I guess it was the only way to go. Not the best, but still. I am glad you left before it came worse."

"I get you. I'll keep that in mind next time. I just didn't want to disturb you because we were celebrating the aftermath of the trial and the jolly, merry Christmas."

"Is there any other reasons why you ran?"

"Well, I'm definitely not used to the noise. Before you say 'But what about trials?', they don't count. Not everyone is talking at once, and I've gotten used to it now." _And I swear there's another reason, but I just can't put my finger on it._

"Oh, alright then," Apollo glanced away, looking at the rest of the city. "You know I'm always hear for you, okay? Anytime, anything – I'll be there." He turned back now, scratching his hair.

"I know, and I'm grateful for it. Someone I can count on whenever, wherever. It's amazing and I'm so lucky to have that privilege."

They sat in silence for a while, taking in the cars and outside noise that enclosed them. It wasn't a greatly cold night, but it was cold nonetheless.

"Do you still feel guilty about what happened at the trial?" Athena asked suddenly.

 _I do, actually._ "Not exactly…" Apollo tried to counter.

"Apollo. I can sense your emotions. I am currently sensing an overload of guilt and fear. You can't hide your true feelings from me… I thought you would've known that by now."

He sighed, and turned to face her. "I feel guilty because I was adding to your negativity. First, you were accused of murdering your own mother. I can't even begin to describe how hard that must've been for you. Then, Prosecutor Blackquill told you what he really saw. You began to believe you actually killed her. Once Mr Wright has solved it, and the trial was about to end with a 'not-guilty' verdict for you, I stepped in. And ruined it. Blew it to pieces. I just added more to your pile of stress and worry you had that day. That's why I feel guilty. I'm probably always going to feel a tinge of guilty from now on."

"But you even told me why you did so! To get rid of your doubts! To believe in me again! To **trust** me! I think it's better that you did accuse me than try to pretend those doubts of yours didn't exist and run from them, because then I'll never know why you and I were growing apart. The truth is the most important thing in the world, Apollo, and I'm grateful that you took that into action."

"There a words I can never take back though, Athena. Remember what I said, 'evidence is everything?' That statement was used by my old, terrible mentor, and ruined lives! I can't believe that for a second there, I was nearly him."

She could tell he was very angry. She managed to pinpoint the three reasons why he was, but it was still flashing red. There's something she doesn't know about and it's making him angry. However, she didn't see the need to bring it up just yet.

"We're all human. We all make mistakes. We all say words and the instant they come out, we regret them. We don't have a perfectly planned script that we follow. Our life is not a perfectly set movie. Things change without warning, things happen with no notice. We can't do anything to stop them, but the only thing we can do is accept them. Let them be. Forget about them once it's done. Not live our one life feeling guilty about a tiny error because they don't matter, Apollo."

"How can you do it? How can you just forgive me like that? How?" he asked, with tears of his own forming in his eyes.

She touched his arm. "I can forgive you because I know you. I know who you are. I know who the real Apollo is. I know that this is just a bump in the road and it doesn't matter. I know that you only did it because there were real, genuine reasons. I know that it was so you could be more comfortable with your life. I know that it was to get rid of that seed of doubt. I know, and I can forgive you. I will forgive you. I do forgive you. I'll always forgive you."

He hugged her tightly, and he let a few tears run down his cheeks. Athena felt them fall on to his jacket she was wearing, but didn't care. She was happy that Apollo could finally be free of his demons. Happy that he was letting out his emotions. Happy that he was… happy.  
Her heart was beating loud, like it was going to pop out, right then and there. She could feel the blood circulating through her body. She could feel this feeling rising further and further up her body.

Apollo let her go, and she nearly fell on to the grass. She had no control anymore. She was lost.

"Thena, what's wrong? Did I do something?" he asked worriedly.

"N-no, no… it's just that…" It was the perfect time to ask that question she wanted to ask. "Earlier when you said that there were words you wanted to take back, I sensed anger. I managed to decipher three out of the four reasons why… and I want to know what the fourth one is, if you know yourself."

As soon as she said those words, he knew. He knew what the fourth reason was.

 **(x)**

Millions of thoughts were chasing each other in his mind. It was basically a game of picking petals. _Tell her, tell her not, tell her, tell her not…_ He couldn't decide.

 _"The truth is the most important thing in the world, Apollo."_

If the truth is in fact the most important thing in the world, then he should tell her. He just didn't know how. _Actions speak louder than words, so how about that?_

"Apollo… you've been awfully quiet for some time no-"

She stopped talking once he had started to run his fingers along her cheeks. She could feel them starting to burn up and once again, the rapid pace of her heartbeat returning. She had no idea what he was going to do, but she didn't care right now.

He was about to go back to the speech idea, but just as thought of moving away from her, he did the opposite. Cradling her cheeks in his hands, Apollo gently pressed his lips on top of hers and let his eyelids fall shut.

He, himself, didn't even see it coming. In fact, he had hardly kissed anyone in his life. However, he knew it was the right way to go. Athena wasn't denying it, so that was a plus as well.

She was shocked at first. Athena had no clue was she was doing. This, embarrassingly enough for her, was her first kiss, therefore having no knowledge or experience on how to kiss. She hoped she had easily caught on. _I must be doing it right, he hasn't backed away._

Simultaneously, they both broke apart at the same time. Athena opened up her eyes again and saw Apollo fiddling with his bracelet. "Sorry… maybe warning next time?" he apologised, but tried to make it humorous.

She smiled. "No… don't be sorry. I liked it."

"I uh… guess it's the time for the confession, right? Like in the movies?"

She laughed.

"That was my answer to your question. Yeah, it probably didn't make any sense at first, but maybe you caught on? Probably didn't. So… the other reason why I was angry because I thought it would be the end of any kind of relationship between us, and I really didn't want that to happen. I was angry for losing you."

"You never lost me, Apollo. I've always been here."

"Does that answer your question?"

"Yes, more actually."

Apollo pulled out his phone to check the time. "11:30! We've been out here for some time now, do you think the rest are worried?"

Athena chuckled saying "Probably not. Too caught up dancing, talking and laughing. Probably didn't even notice us sneaking out."

"True, but I don't feel like heading back in. Being out here is comforting, don't you agree?"

She moved closer to him and placed her head on his shoulder. "Agreed."

With that, the snow began to fall from the sky. _The best part of Winter._

* * *

 **A/N: Hey everyone! I was in the mood for writing some Justicykes, so this is what happened!**

 **This idea came from when I was listening to Jacquie Lee's _Broken Ones_. I could relate to it, and I saw a situation where Athena could relate to it as well. Combine that with Justicykes, and poof, fanfic.**

 **NOTE: Suspicion is still being written! I have actually written most of the next chapter but I need to finish it and I've been using up most of my time studying. I apologise, and thank you to those who are patiently waiting!**

 **Btw, this is being posted at 10:40PM. Typos are to be expected.**

 **-PurplePanda12**


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